A woman with short curly hair and hoop earrings is participating in a virtual meeting on her laptop, which displays multiple people in a video conference.

Lay Preacher Cohorts

The Lay Preacher Cohorts are groups of lay preachers that gather online over an academic year to cultivate more faith-full preaching.

The Lay Preacher Cohorts of the Faithful Preaching Project are entirely online and do not have any geographical constraints within the United States for participation. Each group meeting begins with discussion time as the full cohort, followed by focused small group time with an assigned preaching coach. The discussions follow themes that were identified during interviews at the very beginning of the Faithful Preaching Project grant. Within the small group time, one preacher is invited to lead a spiritual practice and another preacher gives a sermon and receives instant feedback from the group.

How the Cohort Works

A screenshot of a virtual meeting with 20 diverse people, smiling and engaging from various home settings.

Applications

Applications for the 2025-2026 Lay Preacher Cohort have closed. Another cohort will open in Spring 2026.

Testimonials from participants in Lay Preacher Cohorts

  • An man with glasses and a white beard, wearing a red shirt, smiles at the camera in a home office setting.

    "The Faithful Preaching Project has significantly bolstered my confidence as a lay preacher. I am deeply grateful for our community of faith where we can learn from one another and grow together. Hearing the experiences and insights of others has been both inspiring and enriching, providing me with renewed strength and a deeper understanding of my calling."

    Armel Crocker

  • A woman with blonde hair and glasses smiling indoors near a window with green trees outside.

    “I really appreciated the coaches sharing from the academic side, as well as the spiritual side, for what they do to prepare sermons. The group discussions were not only trying to get our answers but sharing their expertise. I have also learned a lot from my small group when they're preaching. I've had many aha! moments when I thought ‘I didn't look at it that way,’ or ‘I didn't see scripture that way.’ Those addition perspectives have really helped my own preaching.”

    Sherri Dittman

  • Smiling man with a beard sitting in a black chair in front of wooden bookshelves

    "I’m finding the twice monthly meetings on Zoom to be very informative. I have learned things that are helping me to better form my sermons. Though this is a cohort to help with our preaching, we have also talked about some of the problems we face in the smaller churches that most of us pastor. Thank you for your work on the Faithful Preaching Project. My congregation thanks you also." 

    Larry Sears